Understanding The Seriousness of Gum Disease
What is periodontal disease?
Periodontal disease, in layman's terms, is gum disease. When you have gum disease, your gums can be swollen, reddish, and may bleed when you floss and brush.
Gum disease involves the surrounding tissue around the tooth. This includes the gum and the bone underneath that holds the tooth. The cause of gum disease is bacteria. If you don't maintain and clean the bacteria from the plaque and tartar built up on your teeth, it will remain there. It will cause gum disease, where your body will try to fight it off. This battle between your body and the bacteria will lead to the destruction of the periodontal tissue, including the gum and bone that hold up the tooth.
What are the symptoms of gum disease?
Gum disease sometimes goes unnoticed until it becomes a very deep infection with swelling and other symptoms. Gum disease starts on a smaller scale. When you floss and brush, you might notice a little bleeding. If you don't take care of it, it could lead to deeper infection, loss of bone, a gum abscess, and tenderness when you touch the gum, requiring treatment.
What are the consequences of periodontal disease?
When you have periodontal disease, it's important to understand that your mouth and body are connected. If you don't take care of your periodontal disease, the bacteria have a direct link into your bloodstream that can reach your heart, causing heart disease and affecting other systems in your body.
How is periodontal disease treated?
Periodontal disease can be treated, but it requires maintenance. If you come with periodontal disease or gum disease, we start by removing the plaque and the bacteria. This involves physically using instruments to remove the tartar and bacteria attached to your teeth and tooth roots, usually in deeper pockets. We normally have to numb you up to reach those deep pockets between the gum and the tooth.
Additionally, the bacteria are embedded in your gum, so we have laser treatment to target the bacteria in the gum. In more severe cases, gum surgery may be necessary to remove the bacteria and restore health, followed by maintenance.
Is teeth cleaning and periodontal treatment painful?
Normally, teeth cleaning isn't painful if you have healthy gums and teeth. However, if you have gum disease, it can be painful, which is why we numb you up. We use numbing agents before deep pocket cleaning, laser treatment, or, in the worst case, gum surgery.
Afterward, you might be sore, but you will improve. Your gums will heal better, and you'll be in a healthier state where the gums are not as tender as before.
Your dental health matters to us, and we’re here to support you every step of the way. If you’re looking for expert dental care near San Antonio, TX, call (210) 981-6018 or email [email protected] to learn more. Ready to get started? Schedule your appointment below.